It's taken them a while, but 10tons have finally grace the gaming community with a new game. This time around, we have the chance to test our knowledge of the English language out with Spellspire. It's a battle game that requires you to spell words out from a selection of 10 randomly chosen letters and the bigger the word, the more damage points you dish out. A simplistic concept that becomes addictive fun the more you play it, and​ with 100 levels in the tower and a variety of enemies to despatch along the way each with their own weaknesses and resists, there's plenty of time that you can invest.

As for gameplay, it sees your nameless wizard walking along automatically through each floor, only stopping to duel each enemy in his path. Said enemies are varied, and choosing the correct weapon for each battle is imperative, as one enemy may be resistant to the poison wand you were just using. So be sure to check the bestiary book to find out which wand you should use, and remember that big words mean big damage.

Along with your wand, you also have robes and hats to dress your little guy up in and these are not just for cosmetic purposes either. The items will buffs health, add new bonuses to help you along the way and most importantly, they're upgradeable. Spellspire does follow the usual gaming trope of the further you advance, the harder it gets and you will need to upgrade you health and attack along the way, or you're going to have a hard time in battle.

Aside from the Tower which has 100 levels for you to climb as part of the main game, you have the option to go back to each level and earn the star challenge, which is completing the level without taking damage. This will not only earn you more gold coins to purchase value upgrades, but also work towards an achievement. After reaching the final floor, you're rewarded by Endless Dungeon mode unlocking, tempting you to take on a new challenge. The club is in the name, and here you have 3 missions to complete and​ earn more gold coins. It isn't as easy as it sounds, unless you have purchased all the best gear and upgraded them to the maximum.

I found this game to not just be some addictive fun, as it's also a highly useful educational tool. Why you ask? Well I have a daughter that's just started school, and she enjoyed helping to spell words out whilst I played and my son has begun talking and learning words quickly. It's kid friendly, and can be used for more than just unlocking achievements, especially if you have young children.

Unfortunately though, and this is something that I won't be too hard on 10tons for as it would have inevitably cost them more money than they'd make back, is that English is the only language available for Spellspire. Not only is cost an issue, but the development time would have increased exponentially. So if English isn't your first language, or you have dyslexia then perhaps Spellspire isn't the game for you.

GraphicsIt's 10tons, and that means a cartoon overlay full of colours and thick black outlines. Their games are instantly recognisable and pleasant on the eyes and Spellspire is no different.

AudioThe same music plays over and over during each battle, so whilst it gets a bit on the repetitive side, your main focus will be on what you selection of letters is and what enemies you will be facing. It's by no means a terrible choice, but you may find it tiresome after a while. Sound effects are whittled down to grunts and groans of defeated monsters.

GameplayIt's as simple as selecting your letter and pressing the triggers to spell your desired word. If it's a viable contender, it will be highlighted in a green border, if not then try again. Spelling a plural and then the singular can be made so much easier by spelling an using the former first. Simply press the button to reselect the word an delete the S and away you go. If only there was a shuffle option.

ReplayabilityThere is 100 levels to complete the tower and 100 challenges, and then Endless Dungeon mode. This will give you plenty of hours if you're going for achievements, or just love word games in general. The 10tons formula is always about giving you as many hours as possible in nearly all of their games if you want to see everything and Spellspire is no different. The price is so tempting, how can you say no.

AchievementsYou will easily get half the Gamerscore on offer with relative ease, but the rest will take some time investment. The list isn't too hard on paper, with an achievement for every 10 floors reached, spelling words with a set amount of letters and some miscellaneous thrown in. The 10 letter word achievement may require the use of a word solver though.

SummaryOnce again 10tons deliver a fun, addictive and playable game that can help your children with spelling words. Fun for the family, or achievement hunters wanting a reasonable challenge. Either way, you can't argue the toss when it comes to the price.

Pro'sThe priceLots of levelsAddictive

ConsEnglish onlyRepetitive musicEach level looks the same

A copy was sent for review purposes.

Any questions or comments? Let me know and I'll get back to you.

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Official Site Review

Spellspire takes a simple word game and spices it up with some interesting RPG elements, adding some tactical thinking to the usual “spell big words to win” formula. Upgrades actually feel useful rather than being tacked on and don't end as an afterthought. Unfortunately there is very little variation in the actual gameplay and the move from mobile to console does come with some drawbacks, mainly when it comes to inputting words quickly and precisely. It is, however, a fun game to play in short bursts; with an entire tower to climb, there is plenty for people to sink their teeth into here.